Wentworth by the Sea
A Walk Through Wentworth’s Eras
New Hampshire’s oldest seaside resort has lived many lives and seen many scenes since it first opened in June of 1874 as an 82-room property then named “Wentworth House.”
1874–1879
It All Began with The Campbells
Built by Sarah and Charles Campbell, who lived on a neighboring island, “Wentworth House” began as a modest three-story shoebox-shaped structure (depicted above) wrapped in a spartan wooden porch. Its most elaborate feature was an observation tower, where guests could view the surrounding seacoast. Only open in July and August, Wentworth House’s weekly rates ranged from $14 to $28.
1879–1902
Beer Baron Frank Jones Steps In
Following the 1876 recession, Wentworth was acquired by Portsmouth politician and ale tycoon Frank Jones. Under his two-decade tenure, the building saw extensive expansions and grand upgrades, including layers of Colonial Revival features, ornate ceiling frescoes, sprawling gardens, and exciting tech advances for the time (steam-powered elevators and the first flush toilets!). He also added the three towers and curved mansard roof – the iconic silhouette we now know today.
1902–1919
The Peace Treaty Era
After Jones’s death in 1902, the hotel was passed to his trustees and later to Harry H. Priest, who upheld Jones’s tradition of improvements. However, what really defined this era was that Wentworth housed the Russian and Japanese delegates (pictured above on the veranda) during the August 1905 Russo-Japanese war peace talks. While formal negotiations occurred at the nearby naval shipyard, the hotel also served as a venue for numerous informal discussions.
1919–1946
Harry Beckwith & “The Ship”
In 1919, Harry Beckwith, a wealthy Massachusetts manufacturer, purchased the hotel and officially renamed it “Wentworth by the Sea.” This was an era all about enhancing on-site recreation, best signified by the construction of a large wooden complex located at the edge of what is now the marina. Known as “The Ship,” this boat-shaped structure featured a theater (for films, plays, the hotel dance band, and even boxing matches) and was surrounded by a engineering marvel: an ocean-fed (and heated!) pool.
1946–1980
The Hey-Day of The Smiths
In 1946, the hotel was acquired by Margaret and James Barker Smith. With James’s background in hotel operations, the duo had a hands-on management style that was key to gaining loyal guests and skyrocketing revenue – much of which was poured right into improving the hotel experience. The biggest focus? Entertainment. For 34 consecutive summers, they hosted masquerades, Mardi Gras celebrations, clambakes, tennis tournaments, and much more. But as they say, “all good things must come to an end.” In 1980, the 70-something-year-old Smiths retired, and Wentworth was sold to Swiss conglomerate.
1980–1999
The Dark Ages
That Swiss conglomerate had plans to transform the property into a year-round conference and sports center, so in order to do so, they wanted to clean house. In 1982, a four-day auction (pictured above) emptied the hotel of most of its contents (down to the carpeting). Unfortunately , the remodel never happened and, over the next 20 years, while changing ownership multiple times, the property sat vacant. Without regular maintenance, the hotel fell into a sad state of disrepair.
1999 To Present Day
The Friends (& Opal) Swoop In
As the wrecking ball loomed large throughout the ’90s, a non-profit group, The Friends of the Wentworth, was formed and they worked tirelessly to save the historic landmark. In 1999, they found a new owner willing to restore the last remaining part of the building and reopen it as a hotel: the owners of Opal Collection. And after extensive renovations, Wentworth by the Sea reopened in May of 2003 to much fanfare. Today, the hotel lives on as a cherished piece of New Hampshire history – and that’s how it will remain.
5 Places to Glimpse Wentworth by the Sea History
While this historic hotel on the New Hampshire Seacoast is far from dusty thanks to a multitude of modern updates, alluring period details still remain throughout the property – if you know where to look.
A round-up of little-known highlights about our historic hotel:
My Wentworth Memory: From Longtime Locals, Employees & Guests
“While I was attending
culinary school, I got my first job as a line cook at Wentworth during my summer breaks, probably starting around 2005. I quickly learned that the hotel was a culinary mecca – like a training facility. During my time there, I worked under some amazing chefs, who taught me how to run a kitchen and run it well.
One day in 2007, the whole culinary team was told to get their chef coats and hats on because the local newspaper was there to take a picture of us all standing on the steps under the porte cochère. ‘Why?’ I asked. ‘Because we just won hotel of the year!’ someone told me. This is a big honor for a small kitchen. We had worked very hard at choreographing things just right so that we were able to churn out a high volume of high-quality food each and every day. I remember thinking ‘Oh, wow, we really did it.’ It was such a rewarding and validating feeling. There’s already such a great sense of pride that comes with working at Wentworth (no matter what department you work in), but that day, it was palpable.”
–Emily Hill (pictured far left in a photo from 2008), part of Wentworth’s culinary team for 16 years.
“Wentworth by the Sea is
more than a hotel. Having played a key role in 1905, hosting the diplomats attending the peace conference to end the Russo-Japanese War, it became a symbol of the hospitality of citizen diplomacy and the idea that every citizen can make a difference, even in international affairs. At the time, this was the bloodiest war in world history. There was a real possibility that the negotiations would fail. But local people, including the Wentworth hosts, convinced the diplomats to work through to a successful conclusion: the Portsmouth Peace Treaty, signed at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on September 5.
That is why on September 5 each year, Wentworth joins the bellringing to celebrate Portsmouth Peace Treaty Day. And that is also why the Portsmouth Peace Treaty Forum returns to the Grand Ballroom – the room, where in 1905, the Japanese and Russians celebrated their accomplishment the night before the treaty was signed – to host events and prominent speakers.”
–Charles B. Doleac (pictured sixth from right in front row with Portsmouth Peace Treaty Anniversary Committee), Portsmouth attorney who founded the Portsmouth Peace Treaty Forum and the Japan-America Society of New Hampshire
“When I was about 5 or 6
years old, my family started a weekly summer tradition where my parents, my two brothers, and I would pile into the car after dinner and drive through New Castle. That always meant seeing Wentworth by the Sea, which is where my parents had their wedding reception in 1948. It was such a grand sight…I always had a feeling that I might someday work there.
While that was my earliest memory of the hotel, it’s far from the only one I have now. In the last 18 years that I have worked as the concierge, I’ve assisted hundreds of guests, many of who have become dear friends. I also have memories of wearing the Easter Bunny and Frosty the Snowman costumes during special holiday events that still give me a good chuckle. I’ve also earned the informal title of the “Golf Goddess” because I book all the guests’ tee times over at the Wentworth Country Club. And I’ve met – and become a regular contact – for many celebrities who have stayed here time and again. Between our guests and my wonderful colleagues, there really is no place like Wentworth by the Sea.”
–Mary Carey Foley, Wentworth’s longtime concierge and a Portsmouth native with deep roots in the community (both her mother and grandmother served as mayors of Portsmouth, New Hampshire)
Featured historic photos were culled from the archives of Wentworth by the Sea and the Portsmouth Atheneum, a non-profit membership library, gallery, and archive, located in the heart of historic Portsmouth, New Hampshire.